Thursday, October 4, 2012

Review : Breathe

Title: Breathe (Breathe #1)Author: Sarah CrosanPublication: October 2nd 2012 by GreenwillowSource: ARC courtesy of the publisher for an honest review

"Inhale. Exhale.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?"

First line: (From Alina's point of view) "Breathing is a right, not a privilege, so I'm stealing it back."

Thought: It's no wonder dystopia is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres, and BREATHE is a prime example as to why. From the world building to the characters and everything in-between, I simply fell head over heals in love with the story. It's terrifying, it's fun, it's dangerous, it's awesome.

Imagine a world where trees are artificially grown and air is taxed. The Premiums (or shall I say rich?) are marked behind their ear and can breathe, run, dance as often as they like. The poor, on the other hand, must be cautious. Can you picture it? Take a deep breath because that's the only one you'll get until the very end of this remarkable, excruciating tale.

BREATHE is told through three incredibly different characters who, like most, are ironically tied together. Let's start with Alina. As you can see from the first line, she believes breathing is a right, not a privileged. She's your modern day Robin Hood, taking from the rich, giving to the poor, and looking for solutions beyond air taxes and the dome. Of course, it's always fun to say you'll do the right thing until you get caught. Overall, I really enjoyed Alina's character. She's tough and fearless, but also caring. She's the type of person you want to have your back and will stand up for whatever she believes in, whether person or cause. She can be reckless and a bit abrasive, but that's part of her charm and what makes her so much fun.

Then you have Quinn. He's one of the lucky ones, born into the elite and never having to worry about running out of air. He's also best friends with Bea and get this... is actually a nice guy. I know, crazy right? The only thing about him is he's a little, what's the word? Dense? Yes, he's a little very dense, especially when it comes to girls. There were moments where I just wanted to slap him and scream "HEY! ARE YOU BLIND?! COME ON!!!". Alas, I do not have the super power to jump into books and save the day. I did enjoy Quinn's character, even though he frustrated me. He's a great friend to have, and I can completely see why Bea hearts him. Did I swoon over him? No, not yet, but maybe that's what the sequel is for.

Oh, Bea. Sweet, intelligent, forgotten Bea. Of all the characters, I must say I love her the most. She's the smartest person in her class and sometimes gets overlooked because of where she's from. This also happens to define her relationship with boys. I think the reason why I adore her so much is because she's completely relatable. Who hasn't been overlooked by a boy or a teacher or anyone in general? She's like any teenage girl, wanting to be seen. Sadly, it's one of those things you just have to deal with, and that's what Bea does. She deals with it while remaining a good friend. She does have a few tricks up her sleeve, but that's for you (the reader) to find out.

Though I must admit, to me, the story really took off when these death defying trio actually leave the dome to go camping. For some, it'll be a fun vacation. For others, it'll be a chance to escape. Who, you ask? Well, I guess you'll have to read it to find out. There will be obstacles and dare I say, things that bump in the night? Two days worth of air and not enough time. DUN, DUN, DUN!

For fans of dystopia, I highly recommend checking out BREATHE. This is one of those books you'll drop everything to finish. Even after it's over, you'll be craving for more. Be careful, the path to freedom is normally paved with heartache and pain. And sometimes, it's not the kind you're expecting...